Exotic coffees come to your door

The latest permutation of the coffee craze is the mail-order club. Besides the convenience of having beans delivered, clubs offer curious coffee drinkers new choices.

Coffee Quest offers members two 1-pound bags of coffee per month, a varietal and a flavored blend. Recent selections have been Colombian Supremo and vanilla nut cream, and Mocha Java Harrar and Hawaiian macadamia. If you prefer to pass on flavored coffee, request 2 pounds of varietal. The cost of $15.95 a month plus shipping includes a monthly newsletter. Call (800) 205-JAVA.

The FRC Coffee Club is heavy on education and a variety of tastes. Coffees are from different roasters around the country -- the current one is Java City in Sacramento. Each comes with a newsletter that tells all about the beans.

Roasters Select in Seattle also gets its bean of the month from different roasters. Newly launched, this club will feature coffees from Lighthouse Roasters in Seattle, Mukilteo Coffee in Mukilteo, Wash., and Mountanos Brothers Coffee in San Francisco. Subscribers can select 1- or 2-pound orders; each will be sent with a sample of biscotti.

One pound per month costs $9.95 plus shipping; the initial order comes with a travel coffee cup. A two-pound order is $17.95 and includes the travel cup and a coffee grinder. Call (800) 528-2728.